A 60-year-old Ocala man who was accused of road rage drove away from the Marion County sheriff’s deputy who was preparing to charge him and had to be arrested at his home.
Peter J. Marchesseault, of 6994 Ganton Road, was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill and resisting an officer without violence after the incident, which happened Thursday afternoon.
The victim told the deputy he was stopped behind Marchesseault’s white pickup truck at a red light at the corner of SE Baseline and SE Maricamp roads. He said when the light turned green, Marchesseault didn’t proceed, so the victim honked his horn. When the light turned green again, Marchesseault proceeded north on Baseline Road and moved into the right lane, allowing the victim to pass him.
The victim said Marchesseault then re-entered the left lane and approached the rear of his vehicle, getting extremely close. The victim sped up in order to keep from being rear-ended, but at the 3300 block of SE 58th Avenue, Marchesseault went into the grass median and intentionally sideswiped the victim’s vehicle, causing an estimated $1,500 in damage, before pulling into BP gas station at 2865 SE 58th Ave.
The victim followed Marchesseault into the gas station, where Marchesseault got out of his truck and approached him with clenched fists. When the victim threatened to call law enforcement, Marchesseault got in his vehicle and drove away. The victim managed to get a photo of Marchesseault’s license plate.
The deputy observed damage to his driver’s-side front and rear bumpers, side-view mirror and wheels. There also appeared to be tire rub on the vehicle.
Using the vehicle tag number, the deputy identified Marchesseault and responded to his home, but he wasn’t there. While leaving the residence, the deputy saw a white pickup truck with the matching tag number and initiated a traffic stop.
Marchesseault admitted there was a road rage incident, but he said the victim honked his horn continuously at the red light and then ran him off the road. He said the two vehicles never made contact.
The deputy observed white and gray scuff marks on both passenger’s-side bumpers on Marchesseault’s truck, consistent with the victim’s statement. Marchesseault demanded to see the damage and exited his vehicle. The deputy showed him the front bumper damage, but Marchesseault refused to look at the rear bumper damage and re-entered his vehicle and started the ignition.
The deputy told Marchesseault he was not free to leave, but he put his vehicle into drive. The deputy tried to shut off the ignition through the driver’s side window, but Marchesseault covered the ignition. Despite being ordered to remain at the location, Marchesseault accelerated, spinning his rear tires, and headed towards his residence, where he was finally arrested.
Marchesseault was taken to the Marion County Jail, where he was released Saturday on $3,000 bond. He’ll appear in Marion County Court on April 16.